1871.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Bee-keeping in the "West. 



Mr. Editor :— I thought that perhaps a little 

 scribbling from this part of beedom would give 

 you and the readers of the Journal some insight 

 to Iowa bee-keeping. I can say, with not a little 

 pride, that I have paid my footing for a short 

 time and became a member of the American Bee 

 Journal family, and should health be spared, in- 

 tend to continue till death severs me from earthly 

 things. 



The year 1870 was a poor honey season with 

 ns in Iowa. Our honey was principally honey 

 dew, and though I do not relish the taste of that 

 kind it is still better than none at all. Notwith- 

 standing our poor season bees went into winter 

 quarters last fall in fine condition. We had 

 what might be called an open or mild winter, 

 and bees came through in very good order, 

 healthy and strong in numbers. Spring opened 

 with fine prospects i'or the apiarian. There was 

 a great profusion of fruit blossoms, and about 

 the 20th of May white clover came in bloom. 

 Since then bees have done nobly in honey gather- 

 ing, but comparatively little in swarming, The 

 cause of this non-swarming I am as yet unable 

 to tell. 



I am highly arauped at the remarks of different 

 writers on the Italian bees. I would candidly 

 ask, do those bees deserve the praise that is 

 heaped on them ? I answer positively no ! I am 

 acquainted with men who have kept bees for 

 years, and have tried the pure Italian bee, and 

 their testimony is that they do not deserve one- 

 half of what is said in their favor. But I do say 

 that the hybrids, as honey gatherers, are better 

 than either the common bee or the full blood 

 Italian. I have one colony, the progeny of a five 

 dollar ($5) queen from an Italian queen breeder, 

 and my word for it a man would think he had 

 run foul of a hornet's nest in opening their hive, 

 which seems like the bursting of a bombshell in 

 a pile of beans ; the first thing you know you are 

 the recijiient of a volley of harpoons, and looking 

 out for a line of retreat. Methinks I hear some 

 one say, "perhaps you have a hybrid queen." 

 Well, perhaps we have, and if so, it don't reflect 

 much credit on the breeder. But I shall give 

 the yellow jackets another trial. The hybrids 

 are somewhat mulish at times, but great " chaps" 

 in storing honey. 



A few days since I had a conversation with a 

 professional bee hunter, who said he could tell 

 in a moment what kind of bees were in a tree by 

 seeing the quantity and quality of the honey. 

 "But," said he, "I would as soon get into a 

 hornet's nest as into the presence of Italian 

 bees." 



The continuance of the account of bee-keeping 

 in Iowa will be found in some future number of 

 the American Bee Journal. I do not know how 

 it is with other subscribers to the Journal, but I 

 would much like to see it come semi-monthly, 

 and would gladly pay three dollai'S more for it 

 to accomplish that object. Such are my senti- 

 ments. Geo. W. Barclay. 



Tipton, Iowa, Aug. 1, 1871. 



[For tlxe- American Bee"7^wial.] 



Notes from a Beg'iiiner.' """''■ v: ■'/' 



'■■•■*'/ "^ ^ r O 



Mr. Editor :— For some tune^lohavjg rbei^n^ 

 waiting for a rainy day that I jaaight have lei'sarei ^ 

 to write, for in my short exporioiiGC there, are 

 many items of interest to me, aiid may be so to , 

 others, if you think them worthy Of ■•t*j»lftee'iff 

 the Journal. First I will speak of 



Wintering. 



As I told you in my last, I put eleven stocks 

 in my cellar last fall. They came out in tip- 

 top condition, except one, which I judge was 

 queenless when put in, for there was not a pint 

 of bees in the hive, and no queen to be found. 

 My cellar is very dry — three feet above the rock, 

 four feet in the rock, and rock bottom. 



Moving Bees. 



When I brought out my bees, I had no place 

 to set them, except my door yard. Then I went 

 to work to clear a place in a grove, a little north- 

 west from where the bees stood in the yard, 

 thinking to put all my new swarms there. But 

 I soon found I did not want my old stocks to 

 remain in my door yard ; so I wheeled them 

 around towards the grove, and began moving 

 them a little at a time till I could move them 

 ten feet at a time, with no confusion. In about 

 thirty days I had them all in my grove. At 

 first tliei-e was a little confusion with two or 

 three hives, a few bees flying about the spot 

 where the hives stood the previous evening, 

 with their hives not more than three feet from 

 them. But they soon became accustomed to it, 

 so that all moved off well. 



Feeding in Spring. 



I had a swarm rather weak when set out. I 

 commenced feeding it at once — my wife feeding 

 when I was away. As I was gone most of the 

 time in a sugar bush, I did not feed the remain- 

 der for some ten days after. The result was, 

 the weak hive gave me my second spring swarm. 

 My first swarm came out on the 23d day of May. 

 I had several swarms before my neighbors had 

 any. I conclude then that there is nothing lost 

 in feeding, but much to be gained. 



Swarming. 



I made all my swarms by artificial methods, 

 except the first, which left for the woods the 

 next day but one. It had made some comb, and 

 the queen had even commenced laying. I sup- 

 pose they left, because I neglected to shade 

 their hive, as it was a very warm morning. 

 Then I thought I would do my own swarming. 

 So, as soon as the bees began to hang out, I 

 divided them by one of Langstroth's methods. 

 But something must ever be learned by experi- 

 ence. My first artificial swarm went to the 

 woods, the second day, in my absence of course. %^ 

 But I did not think to give tliem any brood. JSt 

 To my next I gave two frames with bi'Ood and 

 honey ; yet, contrary to all the doctors, the next jjt 

 morning they fled. I seized a looking-glass and 



